


the last one

by antoniohiggins



Series: tumblr requests (newsies) [2]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Airports, Angst with a Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, tumblr anon prompt, wow i've answered two anon requests and they're both airport themed wtf is wrong with me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 05:46:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13698090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antoniohiggins/pseuds/antoniohiggins
Summary: jack is in love and the only thing he can think of to do is leave.crutchie has different plans





	the last one

Jack had one thought running through his head on his way to the airport; this is the only way.

He couldn’t tell him. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t bring himself to ruin what they had and the best thing he could come up with was to just leave.

So he packed up his things from their apartment, taking as little as he could, and left a note on the kitchen counter.

The words he had written were circling around in his head and haunted him the entire way. It was pitiful thinking back on it. He had so many more things he wanted to say, but knowing his luck it only would’ve made things worse.

He brushed away his tears, took a few deep breaths, and blocked out his thoughts. He had to get used to it, after all.

Crutchie came home from work just like he always did. He took the elevator up to the fifth floor and walked past three doors to apartment ‘5D’, the flat he had shared with his best friend Jack ever since their sophomore year of college. It had been almost five years and hardly anything had changed.

So, like every day, he left one of his forearm crutches just inside the door, headed into the kitchen, and made a glass of water. He opened the cabinet, grabbed a glass, and turned over to the tap.

There it was.

One sheet of paper, plain and simple, folded over once, with his name scribbled in Jack’s unmistakable scrawl across it with one of his charcoal pencils. He stopped, still holding the glass as he picked up the letter, unfolding it carefully.

_Charlie,_

Crutchie smiled softly at Jack’s use of his real name. Not many of their friends knew it, let alone actually used it.

_I don’t want to do this. This is the almost last thing I’d ever want to do but I’d never want to do anything to hurt you, so this is the best option._

His face fell in seconds. This wasn’t real, there was no way.

_I love you so much. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but I love you and I’m so sorry. I would never be able to live with myself if I hurt you with something like this, so I figured removing myself from the picture was better than hurting you by staying._

The glass slipped between his trembling fingers and hit the floor, shattering into hundreds of pieces, his heart into millions along with it.

_Leaving you is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’d do it gladly if it keeps you happy._

_Love forever, Jackie_

He couldn’t think. Nothing made sense. His head was spinning and his eyes were watering and he had no idea what to do. His breaths turned staggered and his knees went weak. All at once, his check wracked with one sob, everything else falling apart instantly. He crumbled to the ground, clutching the letter as he felt the hot tears streaming down his cheeks.

Jack, his Jack, was gone. He couldn’t believe it, it almost didn’t feel real.

He frantically dug through his pockets for his phone, blinking away his tears as he scrolled through his contacts, hesitating when he saw Jack’s name before continuing, finding the number he was looking for and calling it.

“Davey?” His voice sounded awful and he winced at the sound.

“Crutchie, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” Davey instantly picked up on the situation, the sound of rustling keys and footsteps in the background.

“Dave, I-I need you to come get me,” he mumbled, trying not to sound as desperate as he was.

“I’m already on my way, just hang in there, okay? Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be there,” Davey promised, rushing his words as Crutchie could hear the sound of his apartment door closing and his feet running down the stairs.

“T-thank y-you,” he whimpered, hanging up as he buried his head in his arms.

Jack loved him. Jack. Loved. Him.

It was everything he’d wanted for the past four and a half years and Jack was willing to give everything up just like that all because he thought Crutchie didn’t feel the same way.

God, he’d never forgive himself if he let Jack get away that easily.

Fifteen minutes later, just as he said he would be, Davey came knocking at the door and the two were out the door, Crutchie with Jack’s letter in his pocket.

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, but please, if you can, tell me what’s going on,” Davey asked cautiously as they both climbed inside his car.

“He’s gone,” Crutchie mumbled, passing over the letter to Davey, who read it in disbelief.

“There’s no way...,” Davey spoke, trying to rationalize why someone like Jack, who he’d known for the better part of his entire life, would ever do something like this. “Where do you think he’s-”

“Santa Fe,” they both finished in unison, a weak chuckled following as Davey took off down the street.

The drive to the airport probably should’ve been no more than twenty-five minutes, but the traffic was awful and an extra ten minutes of pure panic were added to their journey. Davey pulled up to the terminal and like a shot, Crutchie took off through the airport. His crutches could only take him so fast, not helping the fact that he literally could not seem to stop the tears rolling down his cheeks.

He loved him. He loved him. Jack loved him.

Crutchie loved him back and if he couldn’t get there in time it would all be for nothing.

An announcement rang through the echoing halls and his heart sank to the pit of his stomach.

It was one of those moments you hear about on the news where people are able to do the most amazing things when it really matters. Somehow, with the halls filled with people and the slowest mode of transportation possible, Crutchie was at Jack’s gate in three minutes, spotting the messy head of brown waves and squeezing his way through the crowds.

“Jack!” He felt like he was screaming as he watched the boy's head snap up towards him. They locked eyes and everything froze. Crtuchie’s light green eyes were puffy and red as he couldn’t take them off Jack, moving through the crowds of people as quickly as he was able. Jack looked terrified, his amber eyes wide and pained as he frantically considered whether or not to run. Everything he had planned was falling apart and he didn’t know what to do.

“Jack, please!” Crutchie’s voice was like an anchor, keeping him locked in place, clearing any option he had previously considered of running away. He stood stock still, not daring to make a move.

So there they stood, inches apart as Crutchie looked up at his best friend, tears welling in his eyes once again and using any remaining energy he had left to stand on the tips of his toes, gripping the back of Jack’s neck and connecting their lips.

The soft whimper escaped Jack’s lips as they moved softly together. Chapped lips slipping in and out between the two as their breath mingled and they held each other desperately. When they finally broke apart, their heavy breaths were the common relief between the two as their foreheads met and they stayed just as they were, Crutchie’s arms around Jack’s shoulders and Jack’s holding the other’s waist protectively.

“Oh god, I really messed up didn’t I?” Jack tried to make a joke, a watery laugh following as tears began to roll down his cheeks.

“I don’t care,” Crutchie countered, pecking his lips quickly. “I don’t care about all of that, I’m just glad I didn’t lose you.”

Jack smiled guiltily, taking the other boy’s hands in his own.

“I’m so sorry,” he choked out, Crutchie immediately reaching up to brush away his tears softly. “I’m so, so sorry. I just...I think I’m in love with you and that scares me half to death.”

Another kiss to follow was all they both needed to know that he didn’t ‘think’, he knew.  
“I know, Jackie. I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading, as always! you guys always make my day and kudos/comments/and everything else are always greatly appreciated!!
> 
> if anyone has any suggestions/requests/or just wants to talk, check me out on tumblr @tony-higgins!
> 
> <3


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